A call to the Three Rivers Police Department last Monday led to the arrest of a man with an active felony warrant.

According to the police report, a call came in at approximately 11:30 a.m. Monday, Dec. 9, that led TRPD to a house located at 503 E. Church St., where a man with an active felony warrant, Carlos Lopez, was located.

TRPD Sgt. Clint Davis said that he had been searching for Lopez since the night before, when Lopez had abandoned a vehicle and fled from police on foot to evade arrest.

Davis was unaware that Lopez was inside the home on Church Street until he arrived on the scene, and a person outside of the home told Davis that Lopez was one of several people inside. The police report states that the owner of the home came outside and gave Davis permission to enter.

Davis asked the others in the house where Lopez was. “They told me that he was in the bathroom, so I tried to open the door, but it was locked,” he said. Davis said he called out to Lopez but got no response. “I then started hearing the toilet flushing repeatedly, so I thought he was probably flushing any illegal substances that he had, so we started breaking the door down,” Davis said. According to the report, Deputy John Calloway and Chief Vance Roberts of TRPD kicked in the bathroom door to reach Lopez.

Once inside the bathroom, Davis said he asked Lopez “where’s the dope?” and Lopez responded, “I ate it.”

According to the report, Lopez told police that he swallowed about three grams of meth.

“I immediately asked him if he needed medical attention, and he said no,” Davis said. “I asked him again, and he said no, he didn’t want it.”

Davis placed Lopez in handcuffs and searched him for weapons. The report states that several substances were found on Lopez, including a large amount of small plastic bags consistent with drug sales, and a pill bottle with the name torn off, which contained three different types of pills and a small plastic bag with a white crystal substance inside, which Davis suspected to be meth.

Davis also confiscated Lopez’s cell phone, as well as a small black scale found in his back pocket.

Lopez was arrested for his active warrant, and was also charged with tampering with or fabricating physical evidence, and possession of a dangerous drug.

According to Davis, Lopez was in jail for about 10 hours when he became unconscious from the drugs he had swallowed. He was taken to the hospital to receive medical treatment. Davis said he has no knowledge of his current condition.

Lindsey Shaffer is the regional editor and can be reached at 786-3022 or at regional@mySouTex.com.